Energy independence - We need a new realism on energy

THERE is a common root to the terrible hardships facing the people of Japan and Libya.

Japan is fighting to avert a nuclear disaster that has the capacity to make the earthquake and the lethal tsunami it caused seem almost tolerable. As the world’s population watches on a considerable portion of it is worrying that they might, sometime in the future, be in the same frightening position as the people living near the Fukushima Daiichi reactors.

Japan’s very understandable desire for energy independence is one of the root causes of this terrible situation. Four decades ago, when Japan found its post-war economic recovery stalled by the 1970’s oil crisis it made a commitment to nuclear generation so they could depend less on the oil producing countries. This policy allowed Japan become the world’s third — second until last year — strongest economy. Now Japan has over 50 nuclear power plants to generate at least some of the energy needed to realise its social and economic ambitions.